Fear vs. Faith
The unknown. How can the unknown be defined? One definition could be what is not currently seen by our “limited-to-the-present” eyes. Can the uncertainty of our future also mean our future being uncertainly defined? Within our definition and the knowledge we have of our own futures, sure! What is unknown or uncertain and how should we react to it? There are only two reactions that we can have towards the uncertain future: either fear or faith. Which shall you choose? As believers and followers of Christ, which reaction has Jesus called for us to use? If we were to react in fear, does that reflect upon our loving relationship with Jesus or our faith in Him or both? If we were to react to the uncertain future in faith, does that follow through with what our belief system prescribes for us to do and does that work completely against our inner being as human? For this multiple part series, let’s do some “soul searching,” on what God says we should do in terms of reacting to uncertain events in either fear or faith.
First off, what exactly does the word fear mean? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s website, fear means: “1 a : an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger b (1) : an instance of this emotion (2) : a state marked by this emotion. 2 : anxious concern” amongst other meanings. In summarization, fear means a strong feeling of anxiety of the unknown. Secondly, what does faith mean? According to Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
For most individuals I know, fear can be and is an instant and common reaction for one to have in according to terms of one’s future or even just the uncomfortable uncertainty of an unexpected event. When one does not know what is in store for one’s future, it is easy for that person to experience fear tied to the emotions of worry, anxiety, tension, and maybe even sometimes anger. However, what I have learned from my own personal experience concerning an unexpected event that might not have gone how I expected it to go, my instant reaction used to be anger. Let me give an example. A few years ago, when I was still going through school for my degree, I used to work for a well-known pharmacy retail chain. One of the many duties of my job was to work the photo lab and one of the many things I learned about working in a photo lab is sometimes people can be very picky and particular as to how their photos are presented back to them in paper form and how they look! There had been many times when I was either working under pressure and time constraints or under the strict and minimal approval of a tough customer that had caused for me to experience anger. I will also admit that there were times when I did not handle my anger well, which would then cause for me to experience an unpleasant interaction with an unhappy customer, which then would be classified as a “Larry David moment.” In most of those situations, anger and impatience had determined my actions and had set the tone of my interaction with the customer. After awhile, this had grown to become a concern of mine as things were not improving on my part. I then decided to talk with the therapist I was seeing at the time concerning this matter. I provided for her a few examples of how I handled these situations in anger and that this flaw was something I was wanting to work on to better myself. Her first question to me in return was, “What are you afraid of?” My initial reaction to her question was one of shock and I was taken aback to what she was asking. I asked for clarification and she then responded to me by repeating the very same question that knocked me off track the first time. I then thought about it for a bit and then responded to her by saying: “I guess I’m afraid of having another unhappy customer on my hands and me getting written up and being reprimanded by the corporation as a result.” Bingo! Through God’s help and guidance, I was able to target the source of my fear, which then provided for me the right sense of direction and through talking things over with my therapist, she then helped equipped me with the correct skills to handle such situations.
As I tell others I know, this is proof that counseling is beneficial to you! So, taking into consideration, fear can also be driven by our anger. Next time you are angry about something, ask yourself if there is anything you fear in relation to what you are angry about and it just might help you pinpoint what is really driving your emotions!
Yes, even though anger is an emotion that is common for us to experience, one thing we should always do when we are angry is to put ourselves into check by asking ourselves how we should react in our anger in the best way possibly that will express God’s love for others. The same thing goes for what causes us to feel anxiety, worry, and tension. The Bible mentions in 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear”(NIV). Therefore, because of the perfect love God has for us, we should not have fear concerning anything. God has our best interests at heart. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”(NIV). Because of the love and the plans God has for us, we should therefore have “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Phil. 4:7), which should deliver us from a spirit of fear and should reassure us that the unknown, the uncertainty in life will be ok. It is taken care of by God!
God does not desire for us to be timid of our unknown circumstances. “But, Curtis, (you may ask), why does scripture say that we are to fear the Lord our God?” That form of fear is different, meaning that we should revere and serve Him with the utmost respect and admiration. That is what the form of fear that scripture mentions. The form of fear I am talking about is the paralyzing feeling one may experience when dealing in terms of great uncertainty. I have found myself in this position many times throughout my life regarding any circumstance I have had to endure that dealt with a serious level of uncertainty. Whenever I have experienced this form of fear, scriptures of faith have provided to be an enormous source of encouragement for me. These passages of scripture I am referring to, I will talk further in depth when I address the issue of how we should live our lives more in terms of faith, including our reactions to uncertain things. Therefore, please stay tuned to see what I will have to share in terms of faith.
In conclusion to the first part of this series, there are times when we all are susceptible to experiencing fear. Fear is an emotion that is part of our imperfect humanity. As a result of the state of being in fear, we can experience many emotions consisting of anxiety, worry, tension, and anger. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, we should strive to have more faith in God. He will provide for us and help us with the uncertain things in life because of the perfect love and the plans He has for us to prosper and to be blessed. That is the goal. Please stay tuned as I will continue soon with a focus on what it is like to live our lives according to terms of faith, instead of fear. Until then, God bless and be encouraged!
Last 5 posts by TriCounselor
- Fear vs. Faith Part 2: Fear driven by anxiety, worry, and tension - September 13th, 2009
- Boy With Autism - And God Remembered - August 8th, 2009
- "Identity in Christ" - July 26th, 2009
- "Purify My Heart" - July 9th, 2009
